Strap length adjustment device

ABSTRACT

A one-piece integrally molded plastic strap length adjusting device for threading on the head strap of a pair of sport goggles. The device has a pair of easily threadable openings on either side of a cover plate and another opening with gripping means to receive and hold the end of the doubled back strap in its correctly adjusted position.

United States Patent 11 1 Leblanc 1 1 Sept. 25, 1973 [54] STRAP LENGTH ADJUSTMENT DEVICE 2,290,938 7/1942 Bouchard 24/14 L 6, 4 9 l [75] Inventor: Conrad L. Leblanc, Leommster, 3 60 6 8 971 schuler 2/14 D x Mass. FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Assignee: Foster Grant Inc. Leominster 631,071 6/1936 Germany 24/200 Mass. Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin 2 led: 1972 Attorney-Leonard S. Selman et a1. [21] Appl. No.: 280,298

[57] ABSTRACT v [52] U'.S. Cl. 24/200, 2/14 L A n -piece integrally molded plastic strap length ad- 51 Int. Cl. A6lf 9/02, A44b 11/00 j g device for threading on the head strap of a p 58 Field of Search 2/14; 24/198, 199, of sport g The device has a P of easily thread- 24/200 able openings on either side of a cover plate and another opening with gripping means to receive and hold [56] Refer Cit d the end of the doubled back strap in its correctly ad- UNITED STATES PATENTS Justed posmon' f 11/1907 Blum 24/198 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed towards a device useful in adjusting the length of straps, for example, those head straps which may hold a pair of sport goggles on the head of a wearer. It is important that these straps be easily and permanently adjustable to just the desired length so that they are comfortable for long periods of .use and will not let the goggles slip when the user experiences quick head movements which are encountered in skiing or other similar active sports.

It is desireable that the strap length adjustment device be easy and inexpensive to manufacture and water and weather resistant for outdoor use. For these reasons the one-piece integrally molded plastic devices as disclosed herein are found to serve their purpose well and have certain advantages over older metal type devices disclosed in earlierpatents and literature.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION strap passes being threaded through openings on either side of the cover plate. The strap is then threaded through the strap held member such as the lens retaining portion of a pair of ski goggles and then is doubled back behind the length adjustment device, the end and a measured amount of strap passing through still another opening in said device which has tooth means to I grip the strap and hold it in its correctly adjusted position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the strap length adjusting device of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device showing it in functional position on a pair of goggles.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring specifically to the drawings indicates generally the strap length adjusting device. The top portion, as shown in FIG. 1, consists substantially of a cover plate 12 having a substantially planar surface extending for at least about half of the overall length of the device and extending substantially across the width thereof. This provides a surface for imprinting an insignia thereon such as the trademark shown in the drawing. The cover plate also provides a guiding surface for the strap 14 which is threaded thereunder as shown in FIG. 3 through openings on either side of the plates. To form the openings a pair'of side members 16 and 18 are made to extend the length of the device extending along each longitudinal side of said cover plate. The

side members 16 and 18 are both longer and thicker than the cover plate 12.

A pair of cross members 20 and 22 join the side members 16 and 18 and are located slightly beneath and are longitudinally spaced from the cover plate to define openings 24 and 26 through which the strap is threaded. The slightly lower position of the cross members with respect to the cover plate provide for easier threading of the strap therethrough and minimizes binding.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the strap 14 after passing under cover plate 12 may then pass through the opening 27 in the end portion of a ski goggle lens 28, and then is doubled back behind the strap length adjusting device 10. The end of the strap 15 is threaded through a third opening 30 provided adjacent one of the ends of the device, as shown. This opening is formed by a cross member 32 extending between side members 16 and 18 and having teeth 34 thereon bordering opening 30. When the end of the strap is pulled through opening 30 the desired length, the teeth 34 will grip strap 14 and prevent it from being pulled back through opening 30. While teeth 34 may provide adequate gripping of the strap it is also of use to provide further teeth 36 on the opposing cross member surface bordering opening 30.

The opposed teeth 34 and 36 will then more positively .grip strap 14 therebetween.

It is important that the double-back end of the strap does not pass back through an opening already threaded through by a portion of the strap. This arrangement, frequently found in the prior art, makes threading difficult and can also cause extremely annoying binding ofthe strap portions against one another making adjustments of the length of the strap both difficult and time consuming.

The terms lower and beneath used in the description and the claims of the. invention refer to the orientation of the strap length adjusting device as shown in the drawings.

Thus, the disclosed one-piece molded device performs the objects of the invention in a most effective manner and in an easily and inexpensively manufactured form.

I claim:

1. A strap length adjustment device consisting of an integrally molded onepiece plastic element including:

a cover plate having a substantially planar surface extending for atleast about half of the overall length of said device and extending substantially across the width thereof;

a pair of side members extending along each longitudinal side'of said cover plate and being of greater length and thickness than said cover plate;

a pair of cross members joining said side members and located slightly lower than the cover plate and spaced therefrom a distance to leave an opening between each of said cross members and said cover plate so that a strap may be threaded through said openings under said cover plate before being attached to a strap held member and doubled back behind said strap length adjustment device;

a toothed cross member extending between the ends of said pair of side members at a position which is slightly spaced from one of said other cross members forming an opening adjacent one of the ends of the device for receiving the doubled back end of the strap, whereby the strap end is threaded 3,760,466 3 4 through the opening and said toothed cross memclaim 1 wherein both cross member surfaces bordering ber grips the strap and prevents the end thereof said opening receiving the doubled back end of the from slipping. strap have gripping teeth formed thereon. 2. The strap length adjustment device as defined in 

1. A strap length adjustment device consisting of an integrally molded one-piece plastic element including: a cover plate having a substantially planar surface extending for at least about half of the overall length of said device and extending substantially across the width thereof; a pair of side members extending along each longitudinal side of said cover plate and being of greater length and thickness than said cover plate; a pair of cross members joining said side members and located slightly lower than the cover plate and spaced therefrom a distance to leave an opening between each of said cross members and said cover plate so that a strap may be threaded through said openings under said cover plate before being attached to a strap held member and doubled back behind said strap length adjustment device; a toothed cross member extending between the ends of said pair of side members at a position which is slightly spaced from one of said other cross members forming an opening adjacent one of the ends of the device for receiving the doubled back end of the strap, whereby the strap end is threaded through the opening and said toothed cross member grips the strap and prevents the end thereof from slipping.
 2. The strap length adjustment device as defined in claim 1 wherein both cross member surfaces bordering said opening receiving the doubled back end of the strap have gripping teeth formed thereon. 